Always too Late
by LegendJennings
Summary: Trish and Rock don't see each other as much as they'd like, and things are starting to look like they're not meant to be, despite Rock's persistence. Are they stuck to just be forever Almost Lovers? Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I had a couple requests to do another Rock/Trish story, that was a few weeks ago, so those who asked, better late than never, right?

This chapter is part one of three, and most importantly, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

August 26th, 2002:

Tonight Trish Stratus walked with a purpose. She knew she was surrounded by rumors, rumors that had nothing to do with her, rumors having to do completely with her, rumors having to do with her... the Rock, and rumors having to do with the both of them.

She heard them all the time; rumors. Everyone was set on the fact that the two were having an affair, which maybe if word got back to his wife, she'd be a little upset for what Trish and Dwayne's relationship really was like, but the fact of the matter was that Trish had never had anything to do with the Peoples' Strudel.

What she and Dwayne had was simply platonic.

She could admit, well, quietly, and to herself, the twos' relationship was a bigger deal for her than him she was sure, women just have a way of getting more emotionally attached.

Trish, since The Rock's return, had saw the rumors floating around, and somewhere down, deep inside, she knew it was only a matter of time. Since the day Dwayne told her about the offer to star in an upcoming movie titled "The Scorpion King," since she saw the sparkle and excitement in his eye, she had the feeling it was only a matter of time before he was gone.

She wasn't happy about it. She was happy for him. She'd come to terms on the fact that when he left, it'd be hard, but she could get over him.

And now today, after hearing about The Rock's 'special announcement', and of course an even more so plethora of rumors, she felt Rock's time with the WWE was coming to an end.

This made Trish sad. She knew it would. She was emotionally invested in this whatever it is that she and Dwayne had, it felt like she just walked around with a knife in her stomach from the bag. That being what she chose to compare it to.

But on top of that pain, she had a knife in her back.

She felt betrayed on top of betrayed. him leaving was one thing, she knew it was coming. But him not telling her was another thing. Isn't he the man? Where was his balls?

That's what brings us back to Trish striding along the arena, head high, sway in her hips, ignoring anyone who's not Dwayne Douglas (lol, cool guy, nerdy nickname) Johnson.

She knew he'd have his own locker room, she just didn't know if he'd be in that room or not.

She finds the name plate she's been looking for and hones in on the lock, you'd think such a big star would lock his door, but he doesn't. Because he hasn't, Trish decides, he's welcoming anyone to just walk on in.

So she does, and in stereotypical mad woman fashion, she begins yelling, "why wouldn't you tell me?"

Dwayne's sitting on his couch, had been strumming his guitar until Trish's rampage, his look of shock would be funny if it weren't for the seriousness in Trish's being here. "Excuse me?" Rock asks, standing up, putting his guitar now, and not sounding to happy himself.

"You do realize who I am, right?" Trish asks, not for reassurance, but to make a point. "You know me, Trish. How dare you just brush me off like I'm somebody you've never met. If you're going to leave, why wouldn't you tell me? What was your plan, have me find out when the trailer starts showing on tv?"

Dwayne look exasperated, rubbing his temple, thinking over his words. "Trish. Things with us have been complicated lately. Hell, they always have been! I just didn't know what to say."

"How about, 'hey, Trish, you can stop watching SmackDown!. We all know you only watch because Dwayne's on there. And since he's on there you make sure you see every moment for when he's on there, and more importantly, for when he gets hurt while on there.'"

"Well, if that's what you want to hear." Rocky says, in Trish's opinion, being an asshole.

"That's not what I want to hear! That's hoping to enlighten you. I really cared about you, Dwayne. Hell, I *care* about you. It's almost as if you just threw me off to the side, and I know it's not because you slept-" realizing how many guys dump a girl after boning them, she cuts herself off, "is that it? After a while you just realized we were never gonna sleep together, and you darted!"

"Trish-god! No. I would never dump anybody because of that. You say you really care about me? Well I really care about you. Our relationship's been strained for a while now, but I've never stop caring about you. I'm starting to think I never will, either."

Trish pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, "Then why have you barely spoken to me since March? Really our relationship was weird since the beginning of 2001. But then you kind of reconciled with me around December...when we did the backstage tapings? Rock, I'm thinking that timing's not a coincidence. Were you using me to boost your career?"

"No! Why do you just come in here all of a sudden with all of your accusatory question, huh? Where did this come from?"

"Who's asking the question here, you or me? Wait, that sounded weird." Despite the heaviness of the moment, Trish laughs slightly, almost like letting air out of the balloon, the tension lessening.

Fortunately, Rock laughs a little too, almost a nervous laugh, but a relieving one for both parties.

"Trish, what are we doing?" Dwayne asks, tone gentle, realizing just how ridiculous the two were behaving.

Trish shrugs. "I don't know. We're acting just like two teenagers-or worse, Stephanie and Chris Jericho."

"I agree. I think we need to sit down and discuss this like two rational, calm adults."

The two sit down on Rock's plush couch and face each other.

Trish starts the rational, calm adult conversation, "obviously I've got a load of question for you. Do you have any for me?"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd answer what I just asked; where did all the come from. It's been building, I know, but why now?"

"I hear rumors, and I know you do too. But now, there's this 'Rock's special announcement', and you're actually over here on RAW, and you lost to Brock just last night. Rumors are running rampant."

"Rumors saying what, Trish?" Dwayne furrows his brow.

"That you're leaving. I remember you starting to get all those movie offers in 2000, and finally you agreed to "The Scorpion King" last year, and now, if you're actually leaving, it'd make sense, I mean the timing's right. Right? I mean, I'm not just pulling this out of my ass. I've thought about it."

Rock heaves a deep breath, grabbing Trish's hand. "Yes. Tonight's my last night."

Dwayne's door just became very interesting. She can't look at him now, his door's almost too painful. She knew Dwayne's exit from the company was coming, but now that she's actually facing it, it's scary. His words, him having actually admitting it, it brings a whole new depth to the subject.

"Trish," Dwayne coaxed, "look at me."

Even with her best efforts to keep them from coming, Trish can feel tears welling in her eyes and knows that if she looks, probably even if she doesn't, she's going to cry, so she just shakes her head. If she talks she may erupt into tears too.

"Yes," Dwayne says, cupping Trish's face and making her face him.

Now he's done it, she can't hold back what's inevitable, and she just closes her eyes until she hears his voice again, letting the tears flow freely.

"But I'm coming back. It's only for six months, nine at the most." Dwayne says, hoping to calm her down.

"Nine months?" Trish shouts. Her vision is hazy she's crying so hard, her words come out messy, but are audible. Dwayne wraps his arms around her, placing his head on top of hers.

She doesn't try to break his grip, sinking into him, enjoying his warmth. Dwayne just sits there, rubbing her back and letting her get it out.

After a few minutes, Trish's breath starts to even out, she sniffles a few times, "Dwayne," she laughs, a sardonic laugh, "I'm ready to look at you."

There eyes meet and again she feels the heaviness in her heart, almost making her numb. She could cry again, this time, however, she's able to fight them. "So that's why I'm in here. Our... relationship, I guess, has kind of been stagnant these past few months, well, almost these last two years, but I just hoped, I guess, you would come to me when you left."

"And maybe I should have. Definitely. I should have come to you, hell, last week. You know what I had planned to do?"

"No. You gonna tell me?"

"I was going to tell you bye after the show. Then leave. No wonder you think all these bad things about me; like I only wanted to sleep with you, or was using you for my character."

Trish waves this admittance off, "that's redundant now. Just tell me why we've been on and off. We met in 2000, when I debuted and quickly became friends, once we got too close for your like, I guess, you made this whole thing about how you have a wife and felt bad about being so close to another woman in an emotional relationship. I could see where you were coming from, I'd always been faithful to boyfriends of past times. Still we were friends, but around like February of 2001, yes, I remember these dates, you just blew me off. Always. If you did talk to me, you were curt. Then in November, Vince had us in a meeting and talked about wanting to get us together on-screen. The tension could be cut with a knife, but we agreed, I mean, Vince is kind of our boss. Then you were talking to me again not long after. I didn't say anything about how you'd cut me out, I was happy to have you back. And this went on until you were drafted in March. Then we just lost all touch. It's a lot of information to process, but what I want to know, is why the on and off?" Trish finishes, actually taking a breath afterwards.

"I, like you, have never been one to cheat, that's why I wanted us to take a step back. You were cool with it, we continued to be friends, but I felt like we got even closer. I kind of let the guilt subside, it's not like we were sleeping together, we were doing nothing wrong. At least, that's what I told myself all the time. But, in January of 2001 Dany told me she was pregnant, and that earlier guilt I'd surmounted, it came back, and with a whole new power. She was born in August and then Vince presented the idea of us working together. It was then I realized having to work with you, falling back into your friendship was inevitable." He didn't go into detail about how when they kissed for the first time, though it was for storyline purposes only, he wouldn't admit it, he'd sworn this to himself, but he knew it. He'd fallen in love with Trish Stratus.

This huge little part of the story swarmed his thoughts, but he avoided them, "Even though we didn't last long on-screen, I'd been reeled in by well, you again. When I was drafted, I just thought, we'd never keep in touch, it sucked, losing you...r friendship," he saves himself last-minute, "but it was easier to just get it over than for both of us to drag it on."

They're both silent, letting Dwayne's words sink in. Finally Trish nods and goes over to the door. "Alright. Thanks."

"Trish! Where are you going?" Dwayne asks confused, standing up himself.

"When I first came in here, I had many question and I was pissed. Now all my question are answered and I think I'm even more pissed. It's probably best I leave. I'd hate to have to hurt you."

Rock raises his eyebrows yes, _eyebrows_, s, plural, "hurt _me_?"

"Yes, you. I could deal with you ditching me for your wife's, and especially your child's, sake, but you could have been a motherfucking man and confronted me and told me. Then, when you did let me back into your life, you never mentioned that you had _a kid_. Did that just slip your mind? If you couldn't let me in on that, I don't get why you were all worried about us being too close! You know what, I'm glad you're leaving, I'm glad you've kicked me tot he curb long ago, I don't need or want *you* as a friend, or anything in my life in that case, if you're just a big pussy."

She heard him rebut, it wasn't he friendliest rebuff, but with what she's said that wasn't surprising. It didn't matter, though, she left and he didn't follow.

That's how they said their good riddances to each other. yeah, that wasn't the last time they saw each other. Rock did come back, a few times, they passed each other, but as he'd done for so long, Rock just walked on, as if she didn't exist. the difference now was that Trish reciprocated the actions.

It was like there last conversation was a falling out point for both, they needed time to climb back up the tree. All that could get the two back together was time, and, of course, chance happenings.


	2. Chapter 2

March 29th, 2008:

Rock found himself angrily pouring himself some water from the water cooler.

To say he wasn't very happy is the understatement of the fucking century.

Tonight was the WWE 2008 Hall of Fame, where he'd be inducting "High Chief" Peter Maivia and "Soulman" Rocky Johnson.

He anticipated this positively, veins filled with euphoria. The amount of pride he had for these members of his own family swelled within his heart.

But that wasn't even on his mind now.

He'd seen Trish three times tonight. All in passing.

The two had once had a very close, but platonic, relationship, it was strained often, usually due to himself, but it still made the hairs on his neck stand up when he thought about it.

And no, she wasn't the first and last thing on his everyday. They'd had a falling out and that, almost more so than their actual two-year relationship, is what bothered him.

They'd seen each other after that, again, only in passing, but back then they avoided each others' eyes. Sure, you could see out if the corner of your eye the other one looking at you out of the corner of their eye, but other than that, they no longer existed to each other.

But that was last time. The most recent time they'd been in the same room together was at Wrestlemania XX in 2004.

This 'reunion', however, Trish was not trying to avoid his eyes. Maybe she'd needed time to thaw… or maybe boil's better. Yeah, she needed time to steam and boil, and now, she was ready to make her anger clear.

This time, all three times they'd passed, she actually had the audacity to glare at him! Like, if looks could kill, he'd be a pile of ashes in the corner.

He wasn't happy about it. He had right to be mad too. He just wasn't going to stoop to her level of childness.

Taking a refreshing swig if water, he sees Trish briefly pass through the lounge, quickly exiting, and began heading back to the dressing rooms.

It was as if she could feel his eyes on her, maybe she could, all he knew was when she opened the door to leave the lounge, she looked back, immediately making eye contact with him.

She gave him a quick glare, of course, but this time she added a middle finger!

To make things worse, the lounge wasn't exactly empty and a good portion of the occupants saw the encounter, finding it amusing.

Rick threw his cup down, fists clenched, following Trish. He'd bad the last straw.

He saw she was indeed heading towards the womens' dressing room, luckily, he saw across the hall there was a janitor's closet. He saw it cracked, so he grabbed Trish's arm, startling her temporarily, and shoving her into the janitor's closet, following her, and shutting and locking the door behind them.

"We need to talk." Dwayne says earnestly.

"So you bring me in here, are we talking or are you raping me?"

"If I'd approached you and asked to go somewhere to talk, would you have listened?"

Trish rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "Probably not. But you don't deserve to talk to me. Now, move, I'm leaving."

Keeping to her word, she heads for the door, despite the big body in the way. She waits for him to move, clearing her throat to make prominent her intentions.

"Move!" Trish demands.

"No."

"Yes! You can't keep me in here. This is against my will, you know? Some could call this *kidnapping*?"

"You couldn't pay me to kidnap you. I'll let you our when we're done."

She tries pushing him, he doesn't budge. After realizing this won't work, she comes after him, swinging fists.

Rock grabs them, pushing her backward into the wall opposite the door.

He pins her fists above her head, and she's really glaring at him now, but he's returning the favor.

And now he's leaning in, planning to whisper into her ear, planning to show whose boss in this situation, but his… urges, maybe, take over, and he's leaning in, but he reaches her lips instead of her ears. He's hesitant to close those few, mere inches between them, but he has to look at her reaction.

Her eyes are closed and her lips are puckered. She's anticipating this, he smirks to himself, she just as wanting. He closes the distance.

He didn't come in here to have a make out session, but he's not regretting it.

Trish tilts her head a little, deepening the kiss, then she reaches up and rubs his chest.

Dwayne rubs her arms, then snakes his right hand between the valley of her breasts.

He hadn't actually touch her breasts, but the move seemed to have sparked something in Trish. She pulls away, actually gasping and covering her mouth.

She almost looks scared, "I'm married!"

She looks up at Dwayne, eyes deemed with nothing but wariness and gentleness, "Damn, Dwayne, I'm married! What am I going to do?"

"Listen to me, it was only a kiss. Actors do it everyday, just-forget about it-, Ron doesn't have to know."

Trish temporarily forgets her state of fretting, "you know my husband's name?"

Rock shrugs, "I heard about it back in 2006."

"And you know when we got married?"

"I just remember, okay? From the dirt sheets and stuff, it's not big deal."

"Oh yeah? Does *your wife* know about you keeping tabs on me? How will she feel about what just happened here?"

"Dany and I are divorced."

"What? Since when?"

"It'll be finalized in May. We just came to the conclusion we didn't want to be together anymore."

"Uh, no. You don't just decide you don't want to be together anymore. What's you do? Did you cheat on her?"

"No, I didn't! What's it to you?"

"Well, let's see. You trap me in a janitor's closet, won't let me get out, and you've killed my marriage, I think you can at least answer my questions."

"I'm not home a lot. She wants the family life, she said she can't get that with me never at home to be a husband and dad."

"I hate hearing that. I hate you, but it's unfortunate to see a relationship that had lasted so long end."

"Um… thanks. Trish, I'll get to the point, I think we need to try to come to a truce. I've noticed your cat eyes at me, and really, can't we handle this in a more adult way?"

Trish, having not even paid attention to what he'd just said, deep in thought, starts laughing, almost to a point of creepiness, then says, "funny, isn't it? People thought we were having an affair when we weren't doing anything, and now that we're doing stuff, no one knows! The irony, my god!"

"Trish!" Dwayne grabs her shoulders, "you're cracking. You've got to calm yourself. Take a deep breath."

"Why aren't you freaking out? Was this your plan; come in here, make me kiss you, then go tell Ron?"

"Wait a minute! *Make* you kiss me? I didn't see any ropes around you! You had just as much choice as I did. We call things like this *mutuality*."

"Shut the fuck up! He's gonna wonder where I've been. I can just tell him talking to the girls. What if he asks one of them, though?"

"Or you could tell him the truth."

"No! No, no, no, no, no. You don't know Ron like I do, cheaters repulse him. He'll have me divorced so quickly he'll be going out with Dany for drinks after your two's finalization."

Dwayne laughs, a happy, hearty laugh. "What if that's not such a bad thing-you two breaking up, I mean."

"What are you talking about? I love him!"

"If he'd someone as amazing as you for kissing another guy, he doesn't deserve you."

"That wasn't just a kiss, Dwayne. There was… something behind that."

"That's where I'm getting at! We couldn't do anything back in the day, I had Dany, but now…" he intertwines their hands, "nothing's stopping us now."

Dwayne's not sure where this is coming from, but he's just hot the urge to fight for Trish. They never got a chance to date, maybe today wasn't just a coincidence.

Trish unconnected their hands, tossing his back toward him, "for someone who cared about me so much back in the day, you treated me like shit. And I'm the kind of person, Dwayne, I remember that, and to get me to forget is not an easy thing."

"But I'm up for the challenge. Trish, I, I really like you."

"Where is this coming from, huh?"

"I still think about you every do often, and I miss our relationship, and what it should have eventually become, and now, kissing you, it opens my eyes to just how much you mean to me."

Trish shakes her head frantically. "Dwayne, I, I just can't. Thank you for the willingness to put the past in the past, and it's sweet you still care, well, thank you do. But I have new life now, okay? And I've got to go deal with that."

She goes around him and heads toward the door, he's not gonna try to stop her from leaving, but he's got to know, "Trish, under different circumstances, could we ever have a chance?"

She turns to him, "I like to think so, yes." Then she turns around and leaves. Again.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: I want to first think TrishOrton for the love of this story. :) And announce that today's the last chapter, hope you continue to enjoy.

October 2nd, 2009 (SmackDown!):

Per the usual, Dwayne was preparing to be back on WWE tv, the reason being big.

In tonight's case, SmackDown! was celebrating its 10th year, and of course Rock was there, he was practically SmackDown's Father.

But also like previous WWE appearances, the show wasn't the number one thing on his mind.

No, just some blonde chick, no one special. {;)}

He was honestly shocked, about a week ago, to have received a call from Trish. He'd lost her number ages ago, never replacing it, but when he heard his voicemail, he recognized her voice immediately.

She'd seen the advertisements about his SmackDown! appearance and was coming to the show herself. Not to be on-screen again, but to see him.

Thinking back to this made him palpitate, anxiety think.

They'd agreed to meet in the lobby of the arena, he got there first, and when he saw her come in, he was a little surprised.

She had her now brunette hair tied back in a loose bun, sunglasses on, decked out in yoga pants and an Old Navy t-shirt.

She still looked pretty, but he knew she had standards and this was far below them.

He smiled, a smile to which she didn't reciprocate, "hey, Trish. Glad you could make it."

"Uh-huh. You know somewhere private we can go?" Great, these always ended well with them.

"Yeah, I got my own locker-room, let's go there."

"Alright."

They entered Rock's dressing room, Trish took off her sunglasses, showing that though she had her usual makeup on, she had prominent dark circles under her eyes.

*What had she been going through*? Dwayne thought.

"So, Trish, how have things been?"

"I've seen your eyes lingering, how do you think things have been?"

"I'm trying to fraternize, excuse me. Besides, I think you look very pretty."

She scoffs. "Yeah. Right. I'm a mess, but I just… had to see something for myself."

"What did you have to see?" Dwayne asked, wondering if he was missing something that was obvious.

Trish runs a hand through her hair, pulling a few stands out, "Ron and I, we're divorced."

"I'm… sorry to hear that, I guess."

"Rock! You could at least try to make your fake sympathy look real, you know.

"Well, it's a difficult situation, I told you back at the Hall of Fame, I wanted you, and divorce seemed like a necessary way to get you. But I also know divorce is hard and I hate you have to go through it, I even feel sorry for Ron."

"Don't feel sorry for us. We're adults, it was mutual."

"Did you ever tell him about us?" Rock asks hesitantly.

"Yes, I told him about the kiss. It was about three weeks after the matter, the guilt was eating me alive. Like I said he'd be, Ron was disgusted, and we separated immediately. I was able to talk him into counseling and I thought things were going well, considering, then one day, he filed for divorce. I tried to find out what was going on, but he's yet to speak to me about it."

"Hopefully this isn't crossing the line, but the way I see it, if he's going to be like that, you don't need him. He doesn't deserve you. I mean, all that, and just over a kiss."

"Obviously a kiss means more to us than you. If I had been in his shoes I would have divorced right off the bat, only thing I disagree with what he did is just turning on me when I thought we could be rebuilding our relationship. I didn't deserve him. Besides, do *you* even deserve me?"

"No. But I know I'd always try to be someone who deserves you. And that I want you, and you standing here now, making any effort, just tells me I was right about you."

She places her hands on her hips, "what's that mean?"

"You want me too."

"I've entertained the thought."

"Really? Recently?"

"Perhaps." She's not liking at him now, arms crossed, being stubborn, but he can't tell if she's being serious or joking. He hates that about her.

"Whether I've thought about us as a possibility is redundant until you tell me about your current love life. Who do you go home to at night?"

"I'm not home a lot. But when I do, it's usually to my daughter."

"Wow. How old is she now?"

"Just turned eight."

"Seems like just yesterday you were conveniently leaving out that your wife was _pregnant_."

"I've apologized! But, for old time's sake, I am sorry, I'll never live that down."

"I won't let you."

"Tell me about it."

Trish sticks her tongue out at him. "So you, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, don't have a girlfriend?"

"I did, but we broke up early this year."

"What happened?"

"Models, you know. They're shallower than the kitty pool."

"Interesting metaphor, but you know… I model here and there." She says, stepping up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yes, and you are an exception, thank God." He wraps his arms around her waist.

"You know, if we do this, it's gonna be hard. You said yourself you're always away shooting movies, and then you have your daughter."

"I know. We'll have to work something out, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Do we even really like each other *that* way?"

"What?" Trish asks, sporting a puppy dog face, "you don't want to be with little, ol me?"

"I do. It's just, we've never done this. We've either been friends or enemies."

"What do we have to lose?"

"Each other."

"We've lost each other too many times already to let that happen without a fight."

Dwayne smiles. "Yeah. Trish, if it's not too sudden, do you want to come to my house for the weekend?"

"I've known you nine years, what's taken you so long to ask?" Trish says giggling, making clear that she's joking. "You wanna know something? Why I'm dressed like this?"

"I just thought maybe you were sad about Ron, or I brought you back to those feelings. I'm serious, I still think you look great."

"That's a very good answer, because this was a test."

Rick furrows his eyebrows. "A test?"

"Yeah, to see of you'd still take me back even if I weren't actually made up as Trish Stratus but Patricia Stratigas."

"How did I do?"

"You passed with flying colors."


End file.
